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Christianity and Biblical Translations in Japan by Seth Wallace Jones A

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Christianity and Biblical Translations in Japan by Seth Wallace Jones A Christianity and Biblical Translations in Japan by Seth Wallace Jones A thesis presented to the Honors College of Middle Tennessee State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation from the University Honors College Summer 2019 Christianity and Biblical Translations in Japan by Seth Wallace Jones APPROVED: __________________________ Dr. Philip E. Phillips, Project Advisor University Honors College __________________________ Dr. Priya Ananth, Reader World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures __________________________ Dr. Fusae Ekida, Reader World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures ________________________________________ Dr. John Vile, Dean University Honors College To my wife, who taught me always to try harder To my family, who taught me to enjoy the small things And to the countless others who have helped me along the way iii Acknowledgments When I had originally started this project, I did not think it would take nearly as long as it has, but even so I would like to thank all of those who have contributed to this project in any compacity. First, I would like to thank the God, for without Him, none of this even would have been possible. I am truly thankful every day for the opportunities He has bestowed upon me. Second, I would like to thank my wife, Vivian, who has supported me in every way possible. Without her support, this project surely would have failed. Third, I would like to thank my family, who motivated me every day of this project if only for the thought of handing them a bound copy of this project and saying: “See, I did it.” Fourth, I would like to thank my friends, who have supported me throughout the project and put up with me when I asked for their help. Finally, I would like to thank my faculty. Dr. Philip E. Phillips, I would not be where I am today without your persistence, motivation, guidance, and desire for me to succeed and for that I am truly thankful. Dr. Priya Ananth, thank you for your constant assistance and help with understanding the intricacies not only of Japanese, but also of linguistics. Dr. Yuan-ling Chao, thank you for teaching me how to think like a historian and being a constant source of knowledge. Dr. Ekida Fusae, thank you for your efforts in the early stages of this project. To my Japanese language instructors, Ms. Chiaki Shima and Ms. Ryoko Poarch, thank you for the time and care you put into teaching the language. Your patient instruction made this project possible. 皆さん、誠にありがとうございました。 iv Abstract This project provides an overview of the story Christianity and Bible translations in Japan by cataloguing and critically examining selected Japanese biblical translations. It begins with the Jesuit missions in the 16th and 17th centuries, continues to the 19th and 20th centuries up until the start of the Second World War, and closes with what the Bible has become in modern day Japan. The first chapter provides a historical summary of the events of the early history of the Bible in Japan. The second and third chapters examine the translations of the Bible made during the two periods that followed and chart the progress made in translating the Bible into Japanese. v Table of Contents Dedication iii Acknowledgments iv Abstract v Introduction 1 Chapter I: Beginnings, 1549-1867 7 I. Jesuit Missionaries II. Christianity in Conflict III. Translation Efforts IV. Kakure Kirishitan (Hidden Christians) Chapter II: The Protestant Revival, 1837-1912 21 I. Gützlaff’s John II. Hepburn-Brown’s Gospels III. Meiji Version IV. Taisho Revised Version Chapter III: The Post-War Period, 1954-Present Day 39 I. Bible, Japanese Colloquial II. New Japanese Bible III. Japanese Living Bible IV. New Interconfessional Translation Epilogue 64 Bibliography 66 Appendix: Japanese Bible Translations 70 vi Introduction While studying at Seinan Gakuin University in Japan, I had the opportunity to experience something unique. Seinan Gakuin University is a Baptist university that was founded in 1916 by C. K. Dozier. Being a Christian university, there was a chapel on campus, and every Sunday there was a worship service. I, however, was invited by a student at the university, Kouji, to visit the church that he attended weekly. I did not know what to expect, but after walking for about 10 minutes we arrived at an international school that focuses on English learning. Honestly, I was confused as I thought we were going to church, but Kouji directed me inside, and what I found was something truly inspiring. It was a small room packed with roughly 20 people with two American missionaries and two Japanese Christians leading the group in worship. What made the experience even more impactful was that it was a bilingual service because the missionaries also wanted to teach those in the local area English. I would soon learn that this was only one piece of Christianity in Japan and that groups of all sizes and denominations all coexisted and pursued God together. Given the long and turbulent historical relationship between Christianity and Japan, it is no wonder that the current state of Christianity in Japan is unique. According to Nippon.com, “as of December 31, 2016, the population of Christians in Japan 1 numbered 1.9 million.”1 This data was compiled by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in Japan, and according to the study roughly 60% of the Christian population resides in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture.2 With the current population of Japan being around 127 million people, that means Christians account for roughly 1.5% of the Japanese population. Of this, 1.5% the three most common denominations in order of size are: Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox. Population numbers, however, are not adequate in gauging the impact Christianity has had on Japanese society over the past 476 years. As Mark R. Mullins notes, “The disproportionate role of Christians in the field of education, for example, is readily apparent when one compares the number of private schools associated with the major religious traditions in Japan.”3 A number of universities, high schools, junior high schools, elementary schools, and kindergartens were founded by Christians.4 Furthermore, Japanese literature has received worldwide acclaim thanks in part to the works of late Roman Catholic novelist Endō Shūsaku who has sold millions of copies of his works worldwide.5 Another influence of Christianity on Japanese culture is seen through popular religious culture in Japan. Mullins points out that while commitment to church attendance is rare, there is a growing adoption of Christian ritual tradition.6 In 1982 most weddings were conducted by Shinto priests, with Christian weddings only accounting for 5.1% of 1 “Christianity in Japan,” Nippon.com, lasted modified May 24, 2018, https://www.nippon.com/en/features/h00200/christianity-in-japan.html. 2 “Christianity in Japan.” 3 Mark R. Mullins, “Preface and Acknowledgements,” in The Handbook of Christianity in Japan, ed. Mark R. Mullins (Boston: Brill, 2003), viii. 4 Mullins, viii. 5 Mullins, viii. 6 Mullins, viii. 2 the total weddings performed.7 According to Mullins, “by 1998, however, the percentage of Christian weddings had increased to over 53 percent.”8 This is a result of natural Japanese appropriation, but it also shows that Christianity has a large influence in Japan beyond church statistics. This influence is a result of the long history between Christianity and Japan that spans almost half a millennium. This long history can be traced through the translations of the Bible into Japanese. The Bible and Christianity are intertwined throughout Japanese history. As Christianity gains traction, efforts are made in producing translations of the Bible into Japanese, but when it is struck with tribulation, so too are biblical translations. When Christianity first arrived in Japan, there were few to no translations of the Bible into the Japanese language. Eventually, efforts were made resulting in the first complete translation of the New Testament into Japanese in 1612. However, that success was short-lived. The country soon rejected Christianity and its proponents. A result of this opposition was the burning of all Christian texts and with their loss so too was any progress made in translation. This would not be the end of the story, however, for the Bible and Christianity in Japan. With the opening of the country in 1853 by Commodore Matthew C. Perry, the country was thrusted onto the global stage. This push by Perry lead to a turbulent time of rapid change for the Japanese people as they were forced to adapt to a world from which they had been shut off for over two hundred years. During this rapidly changing time, Christianity began to flourish again. As a result, many feats were made in Japanese Bible 7 Mullins, viii. 8 Mullins, viii. 3 translation and progress continued until the outbreak of war with the United States in 1941. In the wake of the Second World War and the reconstruction of Japan by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP), translation efforts resumed again, this time with even more vigor. Many translations were produced, each one building on previous ones. The translators refined their craft and Christianity itself in the Land of the Rising Sun. This thesis explores the history of Christianity in Japan as told through selected translations and the reception of the Bible beginning in the 16th century with Jesuit missionaries and ending with the emergence of the Kakure Kirishitan, or “hidden Christians.” The first chapter examines the efforts made by Jesuit priests not only to convert Japanese people to Christianity but also to provide them with the tools necessary to maintain their faith in their own tongue. These brave few would sadly be struck down by a government that was threatened by foreign influences in domestic affairs, eventually closing the country off from the outside world and banning the practice of Christianity.
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